Changing the World

by Beth Carpenter

It’s Christmas season again. Isn’t it funny how every year, there’s someone to tell you you’re doing it wrong? You should put up your tree earlier, or later, or not at all. You’re using the wrong greeting. Your decorating standards are too high, or too low. Your gift choices miss the mark. You’re spending too much money, consuming too many calories, and putting too much emphasis on the material, and not enough on the spiritual.

And they’re often right. But I think they’re missing the point.

Many, many years ago, a baby was born, and that baby grew up to change the world. And when we celebrate the anniversary of his birth, we change the world, too, even if it’s only in little ways. Angel trees and food bank donations for people who need some extra help. A plate of homemade cookies to let someone know you love and appreciate them. Patience and a friendly smile for an overworked cashier.  Little things do make a difference.

And I say, as long as the way you celebrate spreads kindness and joy, you’re doing it right.

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If you’re interested, I have a new book, Alaskan Wilderness Peril, that releases on Christmas Eve. It’s not a Christmas story, but takes place in Alaska in the winter, with lots of suspense, romance, and a cute dog. If you preorder now, it will be like a little Christmas gift to yourself.

To celebrate the release, I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card at https://bit.ly/3YW9Bwt. 

And for book news, recipes, and more giveaways, you can sign up for my Newsletter at https://bit.ly/4fIQpIm. 

Beth Carpenter is thankful for good books, a good dog, a good man and a dream job creating happily-ever-afters. She and her husband now split their time between Alaska and Arizona, where she occasionally encounters a moose in the yard or a scorpion in the basement. She prefers the moose.